him, answered, that "he thought him a silent parson in a tye wig.

In the House of Commons he cut a very poor figure; his natural diffidence hindering him from expressing his sentiments publickly. Once he attempted to make a speech after he was secretary of state, but he soon became so much embarrassed as to be obliged to sit down again.

In his official situations he distinguished himself by assiduity, courteousness, and integrity. It was a maxim with him never to remit the fees of his office, neither, on the other hand, would he accept of any more than what was customary. By these rules he maintained his disinterestedness, and avoided doing any injury to his successors.

One Major Dunbar applied to him for his interest with the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and,

* Bernard Mandeville, one of those petty infidels who contributed what in them lay to poison the age at the beginning of the last century, was a native of Dort, in Holland. He was bred to physick, but came to England young, and settled here. He lived in obscure lodgings in London, and endeavoured to gain practice in his profession, but with little success. He was the author of the "Fable of the Bees, or private Vices publick Benefits," the title of which gives the character of the book. Besides this, he wrote "Free Thoughts on Religion," "A Discourse on Hypochondriack Affections," "The Virgin unmasked," and some pernicious papers to ́encourage the custom of drinking spirituous liquors. It was supposed that he was hired by the distillers. In his latter years he was pensioned by some wealthy Dutch merchants,-Hawkins's Life of Johnson, p. 263.

to insure it, offered him a bank note of three hundred pounds, which he refused. The major then laid the money out in a diamond ring, which he sent to Mr. Addison, who returned it with this answer:

SIR,

"I find there is a very strong opposition formed against you; but I shall wait on my Lord Lieutenant this morning, and lay your case before him as advantageously as I can, if he is not engaged in other company. I am afraid what you say of his Grace does not portend you any good.

"And now, Sir, believe me, when I assure you, I never did, nor ever will, on any pretence whatsoever, take more than the stated and customary fees of my office. I might keep the contrary practice concealed from the world, were I capable of it, but I could not from myself; and I hope I shall always fear the reproaches of my own heart more than those of all mankind. In the mean time, if I can serve a gentleman of merit, and such a character as you bear in the world, the satisfaction I meet with on such an occasion is always sufficient, and the only reward to,

"Sir,

.

"Your most obedient humble servant,

"J. ADDISON."

Of Addison's sincerity in his friendships, his attachment to Steele in particular might be well adduced as a striking proof. Their sentiments were different on several points, and their characters were also dissimilar. Addison was regular and punctilious, Steele thoughtless and extravagant; but good natured, and really virtuous at the bottom.

In the last paper of the Spectator, Steele speaks in the following terms of his able coadjutor.

"I am indeed much more proud of his long continued friendship, than I should be of the fame of being thought the author of any writings which he is himself capable of producing. I remember, when I finished the Tender Husband, I told him there was nothing I so ardently wished, as that we might some time or other publish a work, written by us, which should bear the name of the Monument, in memory of our friendship. I heartily wish what I have done here were as honorary to that sacred name, as learning, wit, and humanity, render those pieces which I have taught the reader how to distinguish for his."

In another work, Steele, gives the following more characteristic account of himself and his friend.

"There never was a more strict friendship than between these two gentlemen; nor had they ever any difference but what proceeded from their different way of pursuing the same thing: the one with patience, foresight, and temperate address, always waited and stemmed the torrent ; while the other often plunged himself into it, and was often taken out by the temper of him, who stood weeping on the bank for his safety, whom he could not dissuade from leaping into it. Thus these two men lived for some years last past, shunning each other, but still preserving the most passionate concern for their mutual welfare. But

when

when they met they were as unreserved as boys, and talked of the greatest affairs, upon which they saw where they differed, without pressing (what they knew impossible) to convert each other."

Steele was often in embarrassed circumstances, from which he was frequently extricated by Addison, who once took occasion to exercise a little wholesome discipline, to recover him from his careless course of life.

Steele had built an elegant house, which he called the Hovel, at Hampton Wick, and not long afterwards he borrowed one thousand pounds of Addison, giving bond upon the house and the furniture, for the re-payment in twelve months. The bond, as was expected, became forfeited; on which Addison's attorney proceeded to execution. After the house and goods were sold, Addison sent the overplus to Steele, with a letter, stating that he had adopted this mode of proceeding to rouse him from his folly, which, if persisted in, would prove his utter ruin. Steele received the letter with his wonted good humour, and met his friend as usual.

Another friend of Addison's was Temple Stanyan, author of the History of Greece, a work of great merit. This gentleman had, on some exigency, borrowed a sum of money from Addison, with whom he was in the habits of conversing on terms of the greatest freedom; but after this he always assented to every thing which Addison

asserted,

asserted, without disputing any of his positions. Such an alteration could not escape the notice of so penetrating an observer, nor was the motive of his conduct difficult to be accounted for. One evening a subject was started, on which they had before dissented with some eagerness, but now Stanyan implicitly submitted to the opinion of Mr. Addison, who was extremely displeased, and angrily exclaimed, "Sir, either contradict me or pay me my money."

Addison was remarkably attentive to the correctness of his compositions, and he sometimes carried this scrupulous care to an extraordinary minuteness. Nutt, one of the first printers of the Tatler, used to say that the press was often stopped by Addison, for want of copy, or for the sake of inserting new prepositions or conjunctions. Dr. Warton confirms this anecdote, by saying, that Addison was so scrupulously nice in polishing his prose compositions, that, when almost a whole Spectator was worked off, he would stop the press to insert a single word.

Though this might be sometimes the case, yet we have evidences to prove that he composed with great fluency.

Steele used to say, that when Addison had adopted a subject, or formed his plan, for what he designed to write, he would walk about the room, and dictate it into language with as much freedom and ease as any one could write it down. Even Pope declared that he wrote very fluently,